Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations, Part 65

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452

USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations > Part 65

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Henry R. Schoolcraft tells us that his great- grandsire was a schoolmaster, and taught the first English school in Schoharie County, in his old age, and was known as one of the very few promi- nent ones in the region of Albany County, at that early day.

Apollos Moore came from Berkshire County, Mass., and settled in Rensselaerville soon after the Revolution, where he was long and widely known as a successful schoolmaster. From 1812 to 1828, he was County Judge, and for many years a lead- ing citizen of the county. Moses Patten, from New Hampshire, also resided in this town, and was a leading teacher of public schools for many years. He held the office of Surrogate from 1840 to 1844.

Hon. A. J. Colvin speaks of William Hicks as a leading schoolmaster in Coeymans in the early part of this century. He was a great speller, and teaching spelling was his hobby. Only the "common branches " were taught. The "criminal stick " recorded punishable crimes, and woe to the young culprit who earned the ferule or the birchen rod.

John Preston, of Westerlo, was one of the best Yankee schoolmasters that taught in the country towns of the county in the first part of this cen- tury.

We wish we could give a complete list of these pioneers, but it is not possible at this writing.

County Superintendents of Common Schools .--- The legislature passed an act, drawn by Hon. John C. Spencer, May 26, 1841, requiring County Boards of Supervisors to appoint biennially a County Superintendent of Common Schools, charged with the general supervision of the public schools in his

266

HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.

jurisdiction. The office was abolished, November 13, 1847. The following gentlemen served in this office in Albany County : Royal Shaw, Francis Dwight, Rufus King, Horace K. Willard, Abraham Van Vechten, Henry S. McCall.

This office was abolished "without petitions from any considerable number of people and without proposing a substitute." It became unpopular be- cause, in some cases, incompetent men, appointed as partisans, abused their trust ; and the small salary was claimed by the niggardly as an added burden upon the taxpayer. It was a backward step, and so regarded by the best friends of education every- where. It left all school supervision to Town Superintendents, who, with rare exceptions, neglected trusts for which they had no fitness. Such was the united testimony of Samuel Young, N. S. Benton, Christopher Morgan, Henry S. Randall, Samuel S. Randall, Victor M. Rice, and other prominent State officers and educators.

School Commissioners of counties are chosen for a terni of three years by the electors of their com- missioner district. There are now three districts in Albany County, exclusive of the cities-of Albany and Cohoes, with the supervision of whose schools these officers have nothing to do. Local school boards are chosen by the cities to manage their own school affairs. These school boards usually elect an agent called Superintendent of Schools. The County Commissioners are required to exam- ine and license local public school teachers, except such as hold State or Normal School diplomas; to visit their schools; to aid in organizing teachers' institutes; to do several other duties, and to report annually to the State Superintendent.

ALBANY COUNTY, FIRST DISTRICT.

1856, John B. Shear, Coeymans; 1858, John G. Vander- zee, Cedar Hill; 1861, L. Carter Tuttle, Cedar Hill; 1864, John C. Nott, Albany; 1867, William E Whitbeck, Beth- lehem Center; 1870, Leonard A. Carhart, Coeymans; 1873, John F. Shafer, Cedar Hill; 1876, David D. L. McCulloch, New Salem; 1879, Alexander F. Baker, Cedar Hill; 1882, Samuel F. Powell, Coeymans ; 1885, John J. Callanan, Callanan's Corners.

SECOND DISTRICT.

Peter Tinklepaugh; Edward V. Filkins, Berne; 1861, George L. Boughton, Rensselaerville; 1867, Zina W. Sny- der, Potter's Hollow; 1870, Julius Thayer, South Westerlo; 1864 and 1873, Zebediah A. Dyer, East Berne; 1876, Sanford Sisson, Rensselaerville; 1879, Rufus T. Crippen, Rensse- laerville; 1882, Elias Young, Reidsville; 1885, Charles De La Mater, Medusa.

THIRD DISTRICT.

1856, John H. Sand, Knox; 1858, William Arthur, Jr., West Troy; 1861, Thomas Helme, Guilderland; 1867,

George H. Quay, Knox; 1864 and 1870, John P. Whitbeck, West Troy; 1873, Thomas Helme, Mckownville; 1876, William J. McMillan, West Troy; 1879, Charles E. Sturges, Knox; 1882, Thomas P. Heenan, West Troy; 1885, George McDonald, West Troy.

FOURTH DISTRICT.

1856, John Muckle.

The Commissioners whose terms expired De- cember 31, 1856, were four in number, one from each Assembly district. They were appointed by the Board of Supervisors about June 1, soon after the passage of the act constituting them. After this the county was divided into three School Com- missioner Districts, not including the cities and villages having special school acts relating to su- pervision. Since November, 1857, the Commis- sioners have been elected at the annual State elec- tion, and commence their official term of three years on the Ist day of the January succeeding.

The first State Normal School was located in Al- bany by law, May 7, 1844, under the supervision of the State Superintendent and the Regents of the University. We give a more extended history of this institution in another place. We mention it here as one of the great events in the history of education, occurring in this county over forty years ago, and, ever since, shedding its benignant influ- ence upon all the schools in the State, but es- pecially upon those of Albany County. It was, with the characteristic conservatism of the educa- tional legislation of the times, limited to an exist- ence of only five years. DeWitt Clinton, in 1826, and other eminent statesmen of that day, who saw that poor teaching was the great obstacle to the progress of popular education, had spoken of the importance of such an institution. The best edu- cators and school officers urged it. Its establish- ment as an experiment was a necessity. It was opened as a school, with twenty-nine pupils, De- cember, 1844. It has never been closed. April 12, 1848, it was made a “ permanent establish- ment" by law. July 31, 1849, it occupied its present building. This autumn it is to be removed to its new building on Washington Park, admirable for location, architecture, and all needful appoint- ments for its appropriate work.

Its successive principals are thus named : David P. Page, George R. Perkins, Samuel B. Wool- worth, David H. Cochrane, Oliver Arey, Joseph Alden, Edward P. Waterbury.

Teachers' Departments in academies were pro- vided for by a legislative act of March 30, 1849, and kept up to this day by subsequent acts, by which, under certain conditions, in academies se-

267

EDUCATION.

lected by the Regents of the University, a class of pupils receive special instruction in the art of man- aging and teaching schools a portion of each year. Under this act I find that Rensselaerville Academy and Knoxville Academy have done some useful service in this way; but it has been very limited in quantity and variable in quality.

Teachers' Institutes have been a popular and powerful agency in the working educational forces of the State and County. The first in the State was opened at Ithaca, April 4, 1843, by Prof. John S. Denman, of Tompkins County, and held two weeks. Salem Town, James B. Thompson and David Powell were the assistants. Twenty-eight teachers attended. A law providing for holding them annually in each county was passed, Novem- ber 13, 1847, appropriating sixty dollars to each county which should comply with its provisions.

We add as complete a list as we can now make out of those held in this county. We do not find that Albany County was among the earliest to com- ply with the terms of the act.

For some years they were not held regularly, and were thinly attended. Indeed, to this day, the attendance embraces but a small part of the teach- ers of the county, and but little popular or pro- fessionai enthusiasm has ever been awakened in these State institutions in Albany County. The years and places of holding, and the number of members enrolled for twenty years past, are here given :

1865 .- Clarksville, 118 ; East Berne, 106; Watervliet, 173.

1866 .- Chesterville, 181 ; Watervliet, 110.

1867 .- Cohoes, 93.

1868 .- Chesterville, 110; Knowersville, 73. 1869 .-

1870 .- Chesterville, 140 ; Coeymans, 66.

1871 .- Watervliet, 71.

1872 .- Chesterville, 172.

1873 .- East Berne, 167.

1874 .- Knowersville, 131.

1875 .- Clarksville, 144.

1876 .- New Salem, 132.

1877 .- Knowersville, 144.

1878 .- New Salem, 163 ; New Salem, 89. 1879 .- Clarksville, 102 ; Adamsville, 75.

1880 .- Knowersville, 145 ; Berne, 157. 1881 .- New Salem, 120; Coeymans, 78.

1882 .- Chesterville, 146 ; Knowersville, 108.

1883 .- New Salem, 62.

1884 .- Coeymans, 121.

1885 .- Knowersville, 97.

The State Geological Survey was authorized by law, April 15, 1836, and was carried on in four districts. Albany County was included in the first

district. The following distinguished scientific men residing in Albany were engaged with others in that survey as principals or assistants : Prof. William G. Mather, in geology ; Prof. Ebenezer Emmons, in geology and agriculture ; Dr. James Eights, in geology ; Prof. James Hall, in geology and paleontology. The work commenced in 1836 and terminated with their first reports in 1841, ex- cept that of paleontology, which is still continued under Dr. James Hall, who has served in this de- partment since 1843. Besides the five annual re- ports, twenty-one huge printed volumes, abounding in facts and illustrations, attest to the extent and thoroughness of the work done.

The State Museum of Natural History, recently placed in the State Hall, of which James Hall has been director since 1866, is a wonderful collection, a great and impressive teacher of science, an out- growth of this survey, continually increasing un- der the fostering care of the Regents of the Univer- sity, who are its legal trustees, and by the wise and devoted activity of its museum staff, consisting of Profs. James Hall, geologist ; Joseph A. Lintner, entomologist, and Charles H. Peck, botanist.

In 1820, sixteen years before the above State survey was commenced, a Geological and Agri- cultural Survey of Albany County was made by Prof. Theodoric Romeyn Beck. This was the first undertaking of the kind in the State.

Hon. Stephen Van Rensselaer, with character- istic public spirit and zeal for promoting valuable knowledge, employed Prof. Amos Eaton, then of Albany, to make a geological examination of the rocks along the line of the Erie Canal. His report was published in 1824, and was a work of decided merit, considering the state of science at that date.

REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY, except ex officiis, appointed since 1787, and having residence in Albany County, with year of appointment, have been as follows :

John Rodgers, 1787; Philip Schuyler, 1787; Dirck Romeyn, 1787; Eilardus Westerlo, 1787; John McDonald, 1787; Abraham Van Vechten, 1797; Thomas Ellison, 1797; Simeon De Witt, 1798; James Kent, 1800; John Tayler, 1802; Ambrose Spencer, 1805; Elisha Jenkins, 1807; De Witt Clinton, 1808; Peter Gansevoort, Jr., 1808; Joseph C. Yates, 1812; Solomon Southwick, 1812; Smith Thompson, 1813; John Woodworth, 1813; Martin Van Buren, 1816; John Lansing, Jr., 1817; John De Witt, 1817; Samuel Young, 1817; Stephen Van Rensselaer, 1819; William A. Duer, 1820; Harmanus Bleecker, 1822; Samuel A. Talcott, 1823; James King, 1823; Peter Wendell, 1823;

268

HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.

William L. Marcy, 1823; Jesse Buel, 1826; Ben- jamin F. Butler, 1829; Gerrit Y. Lansing, 1829; John Keyes Paige, 1829; John Tracy, 1830; John A. Dix, 1831; Erastus Corning, 1833; James Mc- Kown, 1834; Amasa J. Parker, 1835; Joseph Rus- sell, 1839; John C. Spencer, 1840; Gideon Haw- ley, 1842; John V. L. Pruyn, 1844; Martin Van Buren, 1845; Jabez D. Hammond, 1845; Philip S. Van Rensselaer, 1849; John N. Campbell, 1851; George W. Clinton, 1856; George R. Perkins, 1862; Henry R. Pierson, 1872; Anson J. Upson, 1874; John A. Dix, 1876; Charles E. Smith, 1879; St. Clair McKelway, 1883; Hamilton Harris, 1885.

Standard historians have scarcely noticed the sub- ject of education. We have had little help from them. They write of wars, and the strifes of kings and other men struggling for wealth and power. Theirs is a record of contending factions in Church and State. From them the student of history learns little of the homes of the people, of the training of the young, of the pursuits of the student of science and literature, or of the mighty influences that come from wise and godly men and women, working for humanity and country, in quiet places. And yet these are all of vital importance.

School statistics, as published in our school docu- ments, possess little value previous to about 1857. Mr. Victor M. Rice is entitled to the credit of or- ganizing a plan for them, but little improved since. He had able clerks in his department; and county school commissioners were trained by him to a habit of making intelligible and truthful reports. An examination of the State Annual School Reports for thirty years past will enlighten the student of education, as he can be enlightened in no other way, in regard to the progress of education in our State and County. We would be glad to collate facts and make comparisons from these tables, but space forbids.

The influences that have been working for a century past to advance the education of the masses in this State, have been many. Albany County, as embracing the State Capital, and the temporary homes, at least, of legislators, statemen, jurists, educators and philanthropists, from whom these influences have proceeded, has had great advan- tages. In the City of Albany these influences have been powerfully felt. They have led to the estab- lishment of our many private schools, our excellent academies and public schools, our schools of law and medicine, our Dudley Observatory, our libraries and Cabinets, and all our facilities for advancement in knowledge.

It must be admitted that these influences have slowly entered into our country towns. We have

no doubt that the manorial system, so long existing in these towns, has been the chief paralyzing cause. It made men groveling and ambitionless. A better day for these beautiful valleys and hills, these homes and villages, is lifting. Schools and school- houses are better, and men and women of intelli- gence and influence are multiplying.

No one can question that these good influences had their origin and stimulus from New England. The immigration from that land, which began im- mediately after the Revolution, and has continued ever since, has spread and intensified these influ- ences.

Among the men whose exertions and influence have essentially contributed to the establishment of the schools referred to, and to the securing, finally, of a real, permanent school system, free for all the people, may be named the following who have had residence in this county, not to speak of Governors, Regents, and State Superintendents named else- where:

Gideon Hawley, Eliphalet Nott, Alexander G. Johnson, Henry B. Haswell, John O. Cole, Franklin Townsend, John V. L. Pruyn, Bradford R. Wood, Friend Humphrey, Henry Mandeville, Alonzo Potter, Jabez D. Hammond, John C. Spencer, Daniel D. Barnard, Ebenezer Foot, T. Romeyn Beck, Francis Dwight, Alonzo Crittenden, Benj. F. Butler, Thomas W. Valentine, John W. Bulkley, Samuel B. Woolworth, Alden March, James H. Armsby, Daniel J. Pratt, Henry S. McCall, Charles P. Easton, John E. Bradley, Merrill E. Gates and many others, including, of course, all competent and faithful educators, male and female. Of these twenty-nine, nineteen are natives of New England. They were acknowledged leaders. Others, "of every kindred, every tribe," have cheerfully co-operated or followed, and enjoyed the benefit of their labors.

After years of struggling in the dark, without system, Gideon Hawley, of Connecticut, was elected State Superintendent of Common Schools, in 1813, and held the office, witli a salary of $300, for eight years. "To no individual in the State are the friends of Common School Education more in-

debted for the impetus given the cause of element- ary instruction in its infancy than to Gideon Haw- ley." Organization, supervision, practical knowl- edge of minute details, patience, perseverance, honest work and sincere love for the cause were the requisites in one man. Mr. Hawley united all these. He settled in Albany, was long time Sec- retary of the Board of Regents, and lived to see the reward of his labors. Many followed him

269

EDUCATION.

most worthily. The work was carried on in the Secretary of State Department, with increased experience, by such men as Yales, Flagg, Dix, Spencer, Young, Benton, Morgan and the Ran- dalls. In 1854 Superintendent Rice took the helm, followed by Weaver and others. But none after Hawley had a home in this county except during their official terms. Jonathan Tenney and Addi- son A. Keyes are the only Deputy State Superin-

tendents of Public Instruction who were perma- nent residents in Albany County.

The Educational growth of our County has been very rapid during the last one hundred years, and especially so during the last fifty years. Its history, to which we have given a few pages only, could easily be expanded into a volume. In the special history of Albany City we shall give more allention to its local institutions of learning.

A LIST OF THE TOWNSHIPS ((.), CITIES (c.), INCORPORATED VILLAGES (i. v.), VILLAGES (.), HAMLETS (h.) AND NEIGHBORHOODS (22.) IN ALBANY COUNTY,

WITH THEIR DISTANCES FROM ALBANY CITY IN MILES, THEIR POST-OFFICES, RAILWAY STATIONS, LOCATION IN TOWN, LOCAL NAMES, ETC., BY PROF. J. TENNEY.

Towns, Cities, Villages, etc.

Post-offices.

Railway Stations.

Distances in Miles from State Capitol.

Location in Town.

Local Names and Other Notes.

ALBANY.

P. O.

1 N. Y. C., B. & A., etc.

....

Arbor Hill.

Albany P. O.

12.

Groesbeckville.

Martinsville

North Albany .

Tivoli Hollow

Washington Park

West Albany.

P. O.

N. Y. C.

BERNE

P. O.

Berneville.

Berne P. O.

East Berne.

P. O.

N. E. S.

West Berne.

P. O.

N. W. N. W.

Mechanicsville, Peoria. Named for Peoria, Ills. Named for Sandy Reid. Summer Resort.

t. v.

Becker's Corners.

P. O.

S. C.

Bethlehem Center.

P. O. P. O.

S. E.

Hurstville.

Albany P. O. 66

W. S.

Normansville

Albany P. O. S

4 +

N. E.

Selkirk

P. O.

W. S.

Slingerlands.

P. O.

A. & S. W. S.

So. Bethlehem

P. O.

Janes' Corners. Normansville.

v. v. n.

Wemple

Bethlehem Center P. O.

w. S.

COEYMANS

P. O.

21 S. W.

Aquetuck

P. O.

S. E.

Coeymans Hollow

P. O.

S. C.

Coeymans Junction.

Coeymans P. O.

W. S.

Coeymans Landing.

Coeymans P. O. P. O. P. O.

Named for Balthus Keefer.

12.

Mossy Hill

11.

Stephensville

Alcove P. O. P. O.

R. & S. and T. & S.

COLONIE

1808-15, now a part of Albany.

GUILDERLAND.

P. O.

Dunnsville.

P. O.

N. W.

French's Mills

Fuller's Sta. P. O. P. O. P. ().

W. S.

C. C.

Named for Christopher Dunn. Named for Abel French. Named for Maj. John Fuller. Bangall.

Fuller's Station

Guilderland Center.

P. O.

A. & S.

Adamsville. The Hook. Babcock's Corner. Steamboat Landing.

h. h. h.

Peoria

W. Berne P. O. P. O.

S. E.

Thompson's Lake

N. E.

BETHLEHEM.

Bethlehem Center P. O.

N. E. Mouth of Normanskill. Upper Hollow.

h. n.

Upper Hollow

Adamsville P. O. P. O.

Van Wie's

N. E. E. E.

n. n. t.

Alcove

P. O.

Stephensville. Peacock's Corners.

v. h.

Indian Fields.

Keefer's Corners.

E. S. E. N. N. W. S. W. S. W.

A town from

Kenwood

P. O.

Annexed from Bethlehem. Named for George Martin. Annexed from Watervliet.

n. n. n.

Public Park. Mostly in Watervliet.

Beaver Dam, Corporation. Philla, n. Warner's Lake.

South Berne

Reidsville.

Adams' Station.

Cedar Hill.

Adamsville or }

E. N. W. S.

COHOES

Fort Orange, The Fuyck, 1 Beverwyck, Aurania, Or- anienberg, Williamstadt, were early names.

270

HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.

A LIST OF THE TOWNSHIPS, CITIES, INCORPORATED VILLAGES, ETC., ETC.

Towns, Cities, Villages, etc.

Post-offices.

Railway Stations.

Distances in Miles from State Capitol.

Location in Town.

Local Names and Other Notes.

Guilderland Station ..

P. O.

A. & S.

Hamiltonville

Guilderland P. O.

Knowersville

P. O.

A. & S.

Mckownville

P. O.

S. E.

Sloans

Guilderland P. O. P. O.

. .

Knoxville.

Knox P. O.

The Street.

Knox Station

Knox P. O.

A. & S.

East Township.

P. O.

West Township

P. O.

NEW SCOTLAND

P. O.

W. E.

t. h.

Clarksville.

P. O.

Feura Bush.

Jerusalem P. O.

W. S.

S. E.

Jerusalem.

Helderberg.

P. O.

N. W.

Jerusalem

P. O.

w. S.

S. E.

Feura Bush.

n. h.

New Salem

P. O.

N. W. E.

V. h.

New Scotland Station.

Voorheesville P. O.

W. S.

N. E.

Voorheesville.

Onesquethau

P. O.

W. S.

Unionville.

Union Church P. O.

W. S.

Voorheesville

P. O.

W. S.

Named for Hon. A. B. Voorhees.

Wolf Hill.

P. O.

RENSSELAERVILLE.

Rensselaerville P. O.

Cooksburg

P. O.

Connersville.

Rensselaerville P. O. P. O.

Peckham Hollow

P. O.

s. W. S. W.

Rensselaerville.

P. O.

N. E.

Smith's Corners

Medusa P. O.

S. E. N. W.

Boght.

Cohoes P. O.

Cemetery

Albany P. O.

R. & S.

Center

Karner P. O.

N. Y. C.

Crescent

T. & S.

Gibbonsville.

West Troy P. O. P. O.

R. & S.

Groesbeck's Corners.

Cohoes P. O.

N. C.

Karner.

Loudonville P. O. P. O.

N. Y. C.

Latham's Corners.

Cohoes P. O.

C. N. W.

h. h.

Menand's.

Albany P. O. P. O.

A. & T.

Port Schuyler.

P. O.

Spencerville.

West Albany P. O. Cohoes P. O. Cohoes P. O.

N. Y. C.

Town House Corners ..

C. Town House Corners. Port Schuyler.

Watervliet Center

P. O. P. O.

N. V. C.

West Troy

P.O.

R. & S.

i. v.

WESTERLO

P. O.

Chesterville.

Westerlo P. O. P. O.

Dormansville

Lamb's Corners

So. Westerlo P. O. P. O.

Van Leuven's Corners.

Westerlo P. O.

N. Preston's Corners; named for Isaac Van Leuven.

Westerlo Center

h. h. h.

ข.

Medusa.

v. h

Preston Hollow

P. O.

Named for Thomas Cook. Williamsburg. Hall's Mills. Obsolete; Willow Glen. Named for Samuel Potter. Named for John Preston. Named for Gen. S. Van Rensselaer. Named for Moses Smith. Connersville.

ข.

Williamsburg.

Rensselaerville P. O.

h. h. t. h.

v. h.

Lisha's Kill

P. O. P. O.

Loudonville

S. N. E.

Lower Aqueduct

Newtonville.

Named for Lord Loudon. On the Mohawk. Named for Florist Menand. Named for John M. Newton. Named for Peter Schuyler. Shaker Community since 1776. Named for Julius A. Spencer. Van Vranken's.

v. h.

Van Vranken's Corners Washington

E. N.

West Albany

S. Partly in Albany City. (Includes former Port Schuy- ) ler. Gibbonsville and Washington.

Named for Rev. John Chester. Named for Daniel Dorman.

t. v. h. h.

South Westerlo

C. E. S. W. S.

Once Sackett's Corners and

v. h.

N'd for Hon. Alex. Hamilton. Named for Hon. Benj. Knower. Named for Hon. Jas. Mckown. Hamiltonville, Sloans.

2. t. h.

Callanan's Corners

P. O.

S. E.

S. W.

New Scotland

P. O.

A. & S. and

Tarrytown. Unionville.

A. & S. and

S. W. S. W. S. E.

Potter's Hollow

R. & S.

Green Island.

i. v. h.

Ireland's Corners

Groesbeck's Corners. Rural, St. Agnes and Anshe Emeth Cemeteries. Karner. Railway Station. Named for James Gibbons. Tibbitt's Island. The Boght. Named for Rev. Selah Ireland. Named for Theodore Karner. Town House and Van Vranken's Corners.

n. h.

Shakers.

n. v.

S. W. E W. C.

KNOX.

Union Church.

WATERVLIET

POPULATION.

271

HISTORY OF POPULATION IN ALBANY COUNTY.

By Prof. J. TENNEY.

T HE legitimate purpose of the Census seems to be to determine matters essential to an intelli- gent and equitable administration of public affairs. At first nothing was taken account of except the population classed by ages, sexes, and sometimes by races. In this way the strength of a people for the productive pursuits of peace or the destructive hazards of war, was measured. And when some respect began to be given to the popular demand for natural rights, it was important, to begin with, to have some scale of representation.

As imperfect as these census takings confessedly are, they are valuable as an approximate measure of the growth and prosperity of a people. To take them as they come to us is the best we can do, when we propose to show the historic move- ment of population and the great events and in- dustries that accompany it or depend upon it. Hence, we have carefully collated, from every re- source in our reach, this chapter as a valuable con- tribution to our history.

As will be seen, the statements of population during the Dutch Colonial period are but little better than estimates; and even when taken by di- rection of government officers, not only in the English Colonial times, but even in this day, by so many "enumerators," and from the mouths of so many dishonest, ignorant or timid people, the tabulated reports have never yet reached per- fection.

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Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations, Part 65

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888 Publication date: 1886 Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co. Number of Pages: 1452

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452